Farmers have a lot to think about when it comes to fertilizer. When should it be applied, how much should be applied and where it should be applied are just a few complex – but crucial – decisions they have to make. At Mosaic, we believe it’s important for farmers to understand not only how their fertilizer application decisions effect crop yields, but also how it impacts air and water quality. That’s why we’re dedicated to educating farmers and retailers about the 4R Nutrient Stewardship framework. 

4R Nutrient Stewardship encompasses fertilizer best management practices to achieve cropping system goals, like maximizing profitability and protecting the environment. To achieve those goals, the 4Rs framework incorporates the Right nutrient source, at the Right rate, at the Right time, and in the Right place. 

The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) named five farmers and their retailer partners as 2021 4R Advocates. The 4R Advocate program recognizes farmers and retailers who are leaders when it comes to implementing the 4Rs of Nutrient Stewardship on their fields. These farmers showcase real world examples of how successfully implementing the 4Rs can increase yields and profits, while reducing the impact on the environment. 

Get to know the 2021 4R Advocate Farmers and their Retailer Partners 

Zack Brown Farms Defines Success With Top Yields  
Grower: Zack Brown, Zack Brown Farms, Success, AR 
Advisor: James Varvil, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Corning, AR 

Success can be defined many ways. It can mean continuous improvement. It can mean helping wildlife. It can be both a place and a way to live. For Zack Brown, it is all these and more. The 30-year-old, fourth generation farmer calls Success, Arkansas, home, where he farms 2,500 acres of corn, rice, and soybeans. And he defines his success as a farmer like this: “We try to make every acre the highest potential it can produce, keeping up with the fertilizer, making sure I know what’s out there, what it needs, what I’m taking out.” 

Double J Farms — Cover Crop Champion 
Grower: Myron Johnson, Double J Farms, Headland, AL 
Advisor: Drew Schrimasher, GreenPoint Ag, Decatur, AL 

Double J Farms near Headland, Alabama, focuses on cotton, corn, peanuts, cattle, and cover crops. In fact, fourth-generation farmer Myron Johnson says cover crops are probably the biggest thing that’s happened to his row crop farming. Johnson farms around 2,300 acres of sandy soil and the biomass from the cover crops helps hold the soil together, enhancing soil health. “It created the environment where everything’s happy. All our soil creatures, that’s what they love,” Johnson says. 

For Simplot Grandview Farms, Potatoes Are Just the Beginning 
Grower: Stephen Paget, Simplot Grandview Farms, Burbank, WA 
Advisor: Jack Jensen, Simplot Grower Solutions, Pasco, WA 

When you’re growing potatoes for folks who know a thing or two about making French fries, you need to be on top of your game. That’s why Steve Paget, manager of Simplot’s Grandview Farms near Burbank, Washington, and Certified Crop Advisor Jack Jensen with Simplot Grower Solutions, use tissue and soil tests weekly to monitor and adjust the crop’s nutrient needs. 

Precision Nutrient Application Produces Premium Wine 
Grower: Brenda Wolgamott, The Wine Group, Rippon, CA 
Advisor: Rebecca Kaupp, Helena Agri Enterprises, Salinas, CA 

If you enjoy a glass of California wine, chances are good that Brenda Wolgamott had something to do with it. She manages 3,000 acres of vineyards along the Golden State’s Central Coast for the Wine Group, the second largest wine company in the world marketing around 60 different brands. 

Sustainability is Key for Lamb Farms 
Grower: Jeanette Veazey-Post, Lamb Farms, Inc., Oakfield, NY 
Advisor: David DeGolyer, Western New York Crop Management Association, Warsaw, NY 

Lamb Farms, Inc., Oakfield, New York, is proof that success in agriculture doesn’t have to run many generations deep. The dairy operation was founded by Leslie and Gordon Lamb in 1966, with Jim Veazey joining the partnership in 1976. The next generation is now running the show. The operation runs around 7,000 cows on four different dairies and will expand to around 8,000, and farms around 13,000 acres of primarily corn and alfalfa to produce feed for the cows.